If only Ben Kujak weren’t running Corinna’s Cupboard singlehandedly, he’d be delighted to be on the receiving end. But Evelyn and her dynamo daughter, Maisie, won’t take no for an answer, even if it means restructuring Ben’s charity.

Soon Ben finds himself wishing they’d transform his personal life, too, but can true love sprout when their pasts collide with the present?

About the Arcadia Valley Romance series

Welcome to Arcadia Valley, Idaho, where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand. Join my friends and me as we release a book every month set in Arcadia Valley. You’ll enjoy meeting old friends and making new ones as each of the six authors’ books intertwine with the previous stories in this Christian romance series. Get started with Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley and follow along at Arcadia Valley Romance dot com to make sure you don’t miss any installments!

Be sure to check out Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley, the collection of SIX novellas by best selling authors, introducing you to the fictional town of Arcadia Valley, Idaho, where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand.

Six popular and bestselling authors of contemporary Christian romance have teamed up to create an entire world exploring food, friends, and family. Each novella kicks off a three-book series, intertwined with the works of the other authors. A full length book will be released every month by one author in the series. This permanent collection is only the beginning of your adventure with us.

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

One of Evelyn's jobs is managing the community greenhouse that was her daughter Maisie's brainchild; they offer the produce to Ben to feed the homeless, and while working out a good arrangement, surprise themselves by falling in love -- though there are complications.

(Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.)

Plot and Setting: 4.6 -- Plot is engaging. Has unique elements and no major holes, but a few shaky bits and/or a slight lack of focus. Setting is clear and believable. Timeline is clear and consistent. This is a fascinating romance, with unique angles and interesting twists. Some of the twists I saw coming, and some I didn't. I didn't initially understand why Evelyn pulled back at one point (right there with you, Ben), though it did make a lot of sense later. Several conflicts did end up resolving rather suddenly, which felt a bit too easy after all the build up. I appreciated the reasonably clear timeline.

Characters: 5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. Even minor characters have depth, as do the relationships between characters. The characters feel very real. Ben's process of grieving, wallowing, and finally moving forward was believable, as was Evelyn's complex mix of emotions. A moment that felt especially real was where she fights off feelings of resentment as her new friends offer Maisie gifts she can't afford to give herself. I appreciated that while Ben and Evelyn both had issues from their pasts that they needed to face, they found healing and personal growth in the process of tackling the things they'd rather ignore. Some solid friendships, too, and Maisie comes across as a realistic preteen.

Mechanics and Writing: 4.8 -- Few, if any, typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. (<6/100pgs) Intelligent use of POV. Skillful writing that adds to the story. Errors include: compound word and/or homophone confusion, mild punctuation or formatting issues, one place it said Max where I think it meant Maxwell. Small things. POV alternates between Evelyn and Ben.

Redeeming Value: 5 -- Well-developed, central, uplifting themes. Drugs, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified at all. No explicit sex scenes. Clear moral guidelines for behavior. Some kisses, and non-graphic references to sex in the past (Ben remembering his late wife, Evelyn talking about getting pregnant at 16, Ben's mom and sister almost getting stuck with a pimp years ago) but no more than that. A strong focus on community involvement and giving compassion and aid to those in need. Themes of love and self-sacrifice, and Evelyn's struggle to relinquish control.

Personal Enjoyment: 4.8 -- I liked it a lot. It made me feel in all the best ways, and leaves me content and satisfied. One I'll definitely read again.

Sprouts of Love is a wonderful story. . . of finding God in the midst of heartache and pain. . . and growing stronger — strong enough to face the past hurts and begin the healing that takes place afterwards.

Valerie share with her readers that going back and facing your past may not fix everything. When Ben finally goes back to face his past, some of it turned out better than he could have hoped, but he learned that it’s not about fixing everything — it’s about his healing. . . about letting go of the past hurts.

I’ve said enough.

Hopefully it’s enough to make you want to RUN and pick up a copy of Sprouts of Love and read it for yourself. It’s truly an amazing story!

I love, love, love Valerie Comer's writing. She engages the reader so easily in her stories. This newest addition to Arcadia Valley Romance series covers a tough topic of homelessness, forgiveness, and renewal. As with all of this author's writings, there are thought provoking topics that lead to our Grand Designer, and a perspective of Him that helps me grow in my faith. If you love this author, she didn't disappoint. If you've never read her books, check them out!

Because this book deals with forgiveness, I was deeply touched. It also shows what happens when we harbor feelings of unforgiveness in our heart. I was able to achieve another level of healing in this area in my own life. The thread of love story is also very touching. Another look at Arcadia Valley was most welcome. I highly recommend this book.

I just finished Sprouts of Love. It was amazing.As always, it was enjoyable visiting with the residents of Arcadia Valley and watching the romance of Evelyn and Ben blossom.I love Arcadia Valley, their sense of community, and was really impressed how they came together to support Evelyn and Ben.Best of all I love how our Lord and Saviour takes a prominent role throughout.I eagerly await the next book.

I always enjoy Comer's books. She has a lot of good insights into why people act the way they do, how relationships can grow and develop, and how to work through the bumps in the road. This one is enhanced by Maisie, the female lead's daughter - quite the powerhouse! I also enjoy it when there's animals in a story, and this one has lots. Running into characters from all the other Arcadia Valley romances is fun too.

The topics covered in this book are some I. An definitely relate to. And Valerie has such a wonderful way of putting the right words in the right places. I love how she focuses her characters on Godly thoughts and how she weaves the characters together into the story. This is worth the time to read! Thank you, Valerie, for another great story!

I am soooooo enjoying this series!! I love how the characters are overlapping. This storyline was good...there were a couple of twists that made it even more fun!Looking forward to the other books in the series!Highly recommended.